Slavic Scene Volume 16, Number 2 THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN TheNovember 2008 DEPARTMENT OF SLAVIC LANGUAGES & LITERATURES

Letter From The Chair 2 Feature 3 Classroom Spotlight 4–5 Staying Connected 6–7 Highlights 8–9 In Print 10 Michigan Slavic Publications 11

www.lsa.umich.edu/slavic An image from Photography Sees the Surface, an MSP publication LetterThe From Slavic the Chair Scene Dear Friends The initiatives that we launched last year are off to a great start; we appreciate all of the help that we have gotten from many of you. Our undergraduate program’s new Polish major and the new “tracks” within our Russian major are attracting students in increasing numbers, and our interdisciplinary and cross-cultural approach to graduate education has met with an enthusiastic response from our current Ph.D. students. The concentration (major) in Polish Studies, which was activated just two months ago, already has majors, in addition to the students who are minoring in Polish language and literature. Demand for instruction in Polish language is on the rise as well; for the first time in several years, we had to add an additional section of first-year Polish to accommodate the thirty students who wanted to take the course. On the facing page, you can read more about the continuing success of the new tracks that we have already added to our Russian major. The Culture and the Heritage Speakers tracks are attracting students to the major and we have similar hopes for the “Global Russian” track which we plan to introduce next year. The unique feature of this latter track are the opportunities it will provide for using the language in the “real world,” both in this country and in Russia. Alina Makin is actively engaged in developing a pilot of the service-learning course which will be the keystone of this track. She has made contacts in local organizations who help recent Russian-speaking émigrés and older Russians who speak limited English. Our students can be of service in a number of ways—from translating, orally or in writing, necessary documents and forms, to helping these Russian speakers adjust culturally by talking to them in their own language about the everyday situations they encounter. Working with non-Russian adoptive parents of Russian- speaking children will be another extremely beneficial and challenging service activity. Alina has already met with an enthusiastic group of undergrads who will pilot the local outreach dimensions of the program in the Winter semester. A second key component of the Global Russian track will be a semester or summer internship in Russian during the final two years of study. We have welcomed an exceptional cohort of graduate students to our Ph.D. program in the last two years. You can read about them and their interests in this issue of Slavic Scene. Because their interests are quite varied, cross-cultural and interdisciplinary, we have devised a series of graduate seminars that will be team-taught, covering material from several national cultural spheres. First up this Winter will be a seminar on Slavic and East European Literary (and Cultural) Theory, which will explore concepts and methodologies that emerged in Poland, Russia, Czechoslovakia , Bulgaria and Slovenia, spanning a broad range that includes Symbolist, Formalist, Structuralist and post-Structuralist approaches. It is our intention to offer one such team-taught graduate seminar every semester. On tap for 2009 and 2010 are seminars on the avant-garde, research methodologies, cinema and dissent, and post-modernism. Much of the material in these seminars will relate closely to the particular interests of our graduate students such as literature and ideology and nationalist mythologies, and the contrasts and similarities across cultures, Russian-Ukrainian-Polish-Czech-Jewish-Bosnian- Croatian-Serbian (our current students are interested in comparative work involving two or more of the above national cultures). These seminars encompass not only the study of literature, but also history, philosophy, politics, and aesthetics more generally. We are also in the process of revising our required reading lists for graduate students and the structure of our qualifying exams in order to provide for greater individualization, so that students can focus their own course selection and study toward their particular scholarly interests at the same time that they acquire broad knowledge of the literatures they plan to be teaching. While I am on the subject of graduate education, I want to remind you about the special opportunity that you have to help us continue to provide tuition and stipends for our students during five years of graduate study. Our current cohort has been exceptionally outstanding in their ability to secure highly competitive fellowships; however, we will have to augment these funds considerably in order to make five years of graduate study affordable. Any donation to our Graduate Student Endowment or our Graduate Student Fund will be matched 50% by President Coleman (see the box on the last page of this issues for further information). However, this generous match, which can multiply the impact of any donation you make, is only in place until the end of 2008. Help that you can give us now will have an especially significant effect. Best wishes for a happy holiday and a healthy New Year to all of you, Herbert (Herb) Eagle [email protected] 2 TheFeature Slavic Scene Russian Concentration Continues to Draw Attention By Michael Makin

The Slavic Department’s Russian concentration will be an important part of the Global track, which enrollment continues to grow. The two new will also require students to internship in Russia. tracks— “Culture” and “Heritage Speakers”— provide students with courses on Russian cinema, There is new energy in the Russian program ideology and culture, the intersection of Russian and new interest in Russia. The regularly taught and Judaic cultures, and other classes outside the “Russia Today” suggests that students from the traditional philological range. The second track, Social and Natural Sciences find the booming “Heritage Speakers,” offers specialized instruction Russian economy, driven by oil and gas, combined for students who have grown up with some Russian with the ever-exceptional Russian political stance, spoken at home, and who work on perfecting their intriguing. skills in the written and literary languages. These have brought in a new sort of Russianist, while the The success of the Heritage Track in the planned “Global Russian” track is expected to be concentration reminds us that there are more and equally successful. more young Americans whose families arrived from the former Soviet Union not too long ago. This year, RC Russian Program Director and Slavic The success of courses on Russian cinema and Department faculty member Alina Makin is piloting contemporary culture indicate that Michigan a service-learning course, in which students take students are aware of the flourishing of the arts their knowledge of Russian language and culture in the new Russia. Plans are already afoot to take out into the community, working with elderly advantage of the Sochi Winter Olympics to draw Russophones, helping new arrivals to settle, and attention to Russia’s sporting renaissance. It is a teaching classes about Russia to local schools. This great time to be teaching courses on Russia, and an even better time to be taking them.

Nina Shkolnik (far right) and her “Russian for Heritage Speakers” class 3 TheClassroom Slavic Spotlight Scene Beyond St. Petersburg By Alena Gerasimova Last summer, I visited the most beautiful and This experience turned out to be, by far, the most romantic city, my favorite place in the world, the overwhelming, exhausting, difficult, and amazing majestic St. Petersburg. There I encountered a time of my life. strange phenomenon, white nights. Although physically exhausted, the fantastic white sky outside For two months I lived, breathed, literally became my window prevented sleep. In the heart of St. a part of the camp—where the sun doesn’t set Petersburg, I got lost in the art of the Hermitage, and leaders even dream of children. The campfires saw the breathtaking Cathedral of the Resurrection, were the most memorable experience not only for and witnessed the bridges part at 2 a.m., something the kids, but also for us—their friends and leaders. I thought only existed in the movies. We sat around the fire, close to our kids watching the fire dance, listening to a guitar with ageless Sure enough, time was flying and soon it was time Russian songs, drinking real tea, made from leaves to begin what I was sent there to do—work in a on nearby trees. children’s camp as a leader and English teacher. continued on next page

Vladislav Beronja Before immigrating to United States and becoming a U.S citizen, Vladislav lived in Bosnia and Croatia. His preliminary dissertation work deals with 20th century Russian and ex-Yugoslav novels that act as archives or museums of literary tradition through citation of “classics,” transformation of the author into a reader, and the growing importance of memory discourse in 20th and 21st century. Vlad is also interested in reading as a site of memory in the age of its global decline. He has a BA in Comparative Literature (U-M).

Aleksandar Boskovic Aleksandar was previously employed at the Institute for Literature and Art in Belgrade and authored more than twenty articles in various literary periodicals across Serbia. He has been editing “TXT” a periodical for literature and theory of literature, and his book “Poetic Humour in the Work of Vasko Popa” was recently published. Research interests include literature of the 20th century and contemporary literatures from the Balkans, Russian and East European Cinema, Russian formalism, Bakhtin, semiotics, cultural practice, poststructuralist theories of literature and art, theory of possible worlds, interdisciplinary studies. Aleksandar holds degrees in South Slavic and Comparative Literature (University of Belgrade). Eric Ford His principle research interest is Russian prose of the 1920s and 30s, particularly some of the Formalist-influenced writers, and the writers associated with the OBERIU group. Eric is also interested in Postmodernism, Gulag, prison, and military memoirs and the “literature of fact,” as well as issues and trends in contemporary Russian art and culture. He has a BA in English and Russian (Wayne State University). Meet Our Newest Graduate Students Graduate Meet Our Newest

4 Beyond St. Petersburg continued from previous page When the kids were asleep, I would go on late- asked for my hand in marriage! How could I say no night swims in the lake with my best friend, Maria to a face like that? I also met the sweetest, cutest Mikhailovna. It was only then that we had time to 9-year-old orphan, by the name of Anton. I’ll never ourselves, away from the kids. Although we both forget his smile or the way he held my hand. On his had strict schedules requiring us to get up at 8:30 birthday, the other kids prepared birthday wishes every morning, I never felt as alive as I did those and toys for him—his face shone brighter than the nights. brightest star that day.

Then there were the English lessons I taught to all of At the end of my stay, I said good-bye to my friends the different age levels. The 8 and 9 year olds were with tears in my eyes. No matter how difficult the the cutest. I taught them the alphabet, and songs journey was at times, the children became a part of such as “You are My Sunshine” with hand motions. me forever. Back at home, I am in touch with some The children’s eyes looked at me as if I were a star—it of them on Russian Facebook, but feel that a piece was that day that a young 9 year old boy, Dennis, of my heart will always be in Bocxoд

Adam Kolkman Adam’s primary research interests are 19th and early 20th century Russian literature, which he approaches from a historical perspective. Currently, he is focusing on 1860–1920 to better understand the trends and transitions of ideology and artistic and philosophical thought throughout this period. In addition to his studies, Adam enjoys researching and collecting 20th century popular and underground music from around the world, drawing, and creative writing. Upon his graduation from U-M, he was quite impressed with the Slavic Department and its faculty, and decided it was the best place for him to continue his studies as a graduate student. Adam has a BA in Mathematics and Russian (U-M)

Renee Scherer Renee’s interests are on the influences of Jewish folklore and mid-century pulp fiction on the late Jewish- American speculative fiction writer Avram Davidson, combining her fascinations with Jewish literature and science fiction. She has traveled to Russia twice, splitting her time between Petersburg and the cities of Irkutsk and Ulan-Ude. Besides a lingering obsession with Davidson, her research interests include Jewish culture and literature of E. Europe, science fiction and the utopia in Russian literature, literary theory, semiotics, folk and fairy tales in the Slavic world, Soviet children’s literature, and 20th century Russian poets. She earned a BA in English Literature and Russian Language and Literature from Illinois Wesleyan University, where she also received the David R. Koehn award for Outstanding Achievement in the Humanities. Jessica Zychowicz Following graduation, she spent two years as a Peace Corps volunteer in the Ukraine. Her research interests include Identity, nationalism, and resistance to censorship in Poland and Western Ukraine. She is also intrigued by the concept of borders, thresholds, and their dissolution in writing and inquiry, as well as young women as emerging figures in gendered cycles of literature, cultural inscription, and age in contemporary rural Poland and Ukraine. When she is not working on her studies, Jessica is actively trying to reinvigorate the art of the “old fashioned” paper letter with the help of friends abroad. She also enjoys watching obscure comedy series on British TV, culinary endeavors (not always successful, but worthwhile), and writing poetry and short stories. Jessica has a BA in English (University of California, Berkeley).

5 TheStaying Connected Slavic Scene Mila Shevchenko, Ph.D. (2008) By Mila Shevchenko

I defended my dissertation “Melodramatic Scenarios off-stage space. The course is cross-listed with the and Modes of Marginality: The Poetics of Anton Theater and Film Department Courses. I also serve Chekhov’s Early Drama and of Fin-De-Siècle Russian as advisor to the BGSU Russian Club. Popular Drama” this past July. In June I had accepted an Instructor’s position at Bowling Green State During my first year at U-M, I was on a departmental University; Department of German, Russian, and scholarship, and I fully devoted myself to coursework. East Asian Languages. In the Fall Semester I taught Only when I started teaching Russian in the Summer three Russian language courses: two sections of Language Institute did I realize how much I First-Year Russian (12 students in the first section had missed teaching. I love the dynamics of the [a mixed class of regular and honors students] and classroom, the opportunity to share my knowledge, 11 students in the second section) and a Third- expertise and enthusiasm with others—and it was Year Russian (Composition and Conversation: 9 a pleasure to discover that I could make the same students). Next semester I will continue teaching lasting connections with my American students as I two sections of First-Year Russian and I will teach a had with my students in Bulgaria. Teaching does not course in Russian Drama. This course is to introduce only function as a means of transmission, exchange the key 19th- and 20th-century Russian playwrights and solicitation of knowledge but also contains (such as Griboedov, Pushkin, Gogol, Turgenev, certain elements of performance. My classroom Ostrovsky, Tolstoy, Chekhov, Mayakovsky, Block, is my ‘stage’ and I find the energy of my ‘audience’ Kharms, Shvarts, Petrushevskaya, among others) stimulating. and their dramaturgical poetics and aesthetics. The development of their artistry will be analyzed My experience as an instructor and scholar has been within the historical and cultural context of Russian an ongoing process of learning and growing. My literature and theatre and also against the backdrop teaching in the Department of Slavic and Literatures of major dramatic movements and genres. Special has been a constant source of inspiration. When I attention will be paid to some specific dramatic joined the Department I had already had extensive topics, such as characters’ system, plot, structure, teaching experience but teaching Russian in an and space—dramatic and stage space, on- and American university was something different. I had great teachers though. Every one of them inspired me in his/her own unique way. My first teachers here were my Polish instructors: Ewa Pasek and Piotr Westwalewicz. I learned a great deal of teaching strategies from them, but most importantly that teaching language can and must be fun! I also owe a lot of pedagogical insights to the Russian Language Program coordinators: Snejana Tempest, Kelly Miller, and Svitlana Rogovyk. LRC’s workshops, our monthly Pedagogy workshops, the Oral Proficiency Mila Shevchenko, Ph.D. Interview Tester Training Workshop at University of Instructor of Russian California, Berkeley, were also invaluable assets to Language and Literature Department of German, my professional development. During my graduate Russian, and East Asian tenure, I have been exposed to theoretical versatility Languages and multiplicity of writing and teaching practices Bowling Green State which I will implement in my future literature and University culture courses. For this I owe a debt of gratitude to my professors at U-M.

6 Being Part of the Bigger Picture: Russia through the U.S. Forest Service By Lara Peterson As for many with an interest in languages and international studies, my career path has been relatively unplanned. My involvement with Russian began in high school. My sophomore year, my school offered Russian in addition to the more traditional French, German and Spanish. Russian presented a unique opportunity to study a language and culture I had a peripheral connection to (I was named Lara after Dr. Zhivago) and 1991 was an exciting time to engage with that part of the world. Though the program was unfortunately canceled after my first year, my interest had taken root.

While an undergraduate at Brigham Young University (BYU), I chose classes because they sounded interesting. When forced to choose a major, I settled on two: Conservation Biology, Wildlife Biology emphasis, and Russian. At the time, I had little thought for what these two fields had in common beyond my passion for both. My undergraduate After graduate school, I discovered that there are Lara Peterson (U-M program provided many wonderful opportunities, indeed jobs out there for everyone. I currently 2004) on the Neva River including a summer study abroad in St. Petersburg. work with the U.S. Forest Service International in front of the Peter It was there that I fell in love with the language, and Paul Fortress. She Programs Office as the Russia, Europe, and Near culture, and that fascinating city. I did not realize is the Russia, Europe Asia Program Coordinator. I manage the agency’s at the time how this experience would affect my and Near Asia Program cooperative programs with partners in the region future career path. Coordinator, U.S. Forest on natural resource issues of mutual concern. My Service, International work takes me to various parts of Russia several After graduation, I worked in wildlife biology. When Programs. times a year to develop programs, facilitate visits I started researching graduate programs, I sought by technical teams, or attend conferences and Visit their website at ways to reconnect with Russia. I was attracted by meetings. Most people do not know that the U.S. www.fs.fed.us/global University of Michigan’s unique Dual Masters Degree Forest Service even has an international program. Program in Natural Resource Management and However, international collaboration is critical if Russian and East European Studies. Fortuitously, we hope to solve the natural resource issues facing there were four of us who entered the program in today’s world. 2004. Russian is a challenging language, and Russia is University of Michigan provided many opportunities often a challenging place. However, through hard to expand my knowledge. Advanced courses work, flexibility, and (most important) a sense of through the Department of Slavic Languages and humor, I have been able to learn and grow from the Literatures deepened my language skills, while difficult moments and savor the beautiful ones. I complimentary courses in various departments just returned from St. Petersburg, where my passion broadened my understanding of regional and for Russia was reignited as I wandered the streets technical issues. I spent a summer in Irkutsk on of tsars, poets, musicians, revolutionaries, martyrs, Photo taken by Nina a study abroad program and later conducted my and visionaries and absorbed Russia’s rich and Savransky, U.S. Forest graduate research on land-cover change in the Service International complex history. forests around Lake Baikal. Programs, October 2008

7 TheHighlights Slavic Scene Searching for the Shtetl in the Twenty First Century By Mikhail Krutikov

The shtetl — Yiddish for a small town — has metaphoric language and its relationships with preoccupied the imagination of Jewish writers, reality. My visits to the towns of Balta, Mogilev- artists, and scholars for nearly two centuries. It Podolskii, Bershad, and Shargorod, as part of the has been idealized and criticized, analyzed and summer expeditions of the European University, eulogized, but it seems that until recently it was enabled me to read Yiddish fiction and memoirs universally agreed that the shtetl was no longer alive in new ways, revealing intriguing mechanisms of after the Holocaust destroyed Jewish life in Eastern “textualization” of human experience. Europe. The project that I am involved with tries to challenge this negative consensus. For more than In the course of my research I became increasingly twenty years, a group of enthusiastic researchers, intrigued not only by what my colleagues which is now affiliated with the European University and I discovered in the shtetlekh, but also by at St. Petersburg, has been traveling every summer the motivation and attitude of St Petersburg to Podolia, a historic region in southern Ukraine, researchers. I realized that each one of them has looking for the remnants of the shtetl life. They their own “shtetl” in mind. Their projects went have accumulated a rich and diverse collection beyond a narrow, academic focus, including a of interviews, images, historical documents, broader, cultural agenda. Their interest in the and material artifacts, which will be of great shtetl reflected a need to expand their intellectual importance for scholars of ethnography, folklore, and spiritual horizon beyond the limits of urban art, history, and architecture. As a literary scholar, mental territory. Thus, my project acquired a new I am particularly interested in the development of dimension, namely, studying of the interaction between St. Petersburg intellectuals and provincial Ukrainian town folk. While our research focuses on the remaining Jewish population of the shtetl, we are also interested in broader issues of multiculturalism, urban culture, economic, social, and cultural interaction between different ethnic and religious groups, both in the local framework of a small Ukrainian town and in the larger, global frameworks.

A rapid globalization in all areas of life is one of the most striking features of contemporary Ukraine. Although the majority of Jews left small towns in the aftermath of the Soviet collapse in the early 1990s, many emigrants maintain close connections with their old home. A few come back permanently, many others come to visit. Increasingly, Ukraine is becoming a popular destination for pilgrims who come to pray at the graves of the tzaddikim Signs in Ukrainian, Yiddish, and Polish identify the town of — Hasidic rabbis of the past. The shtetl becomes Shargorod in Ukraine. The town was an important Jewish part of the global network of communication and town until the early 1990s. The use of Yiddish is unusual movement, and continues to play a significant and reflects current artistic and cultural statements (photo role, both as a symbolic locus of “authenticity” and taken July 2008). a very real destination for many travelers.

8 Stasys Exhibit By Rachelle Grubb

The University of Michigan welcomed Stasys Eidrigevicius as the first artist in the 2008 Penny W. Stamps Distinguished Visitor Series. His presentation dwelled on the familial. Sharing images and stories that playfully documented his childhood home, family and surroundings, Stasys provided a visual timeline of personal interest and observation.

The continuity of Stasys’ images from past to current was remarkable. In one photo taken as a young teenager, he positions the viewer below the gaze of a rooster in the middle of a dirt path, composed delicately between a wooden fence, the stark horizon, and the viewer. In another image he captures the arrangement of two men (his father and neighbor) in conversation. The seemingly mundane nature disappears when the viewer learns that Stasys designed and built the porch where they sit, and that his neighbor is willing to do nearly anything to avoid being captured on film—which Stasys had also documented through a series of photos that illustrate this same man running away from the camera lens and into a ditch where he hid among the rushes in hopes to avoid being captured on film.

Stasys’ illustrative portraiture and graphic design ring harmoniously in his gigantic posters, and small library stamps. His creative essence is straightforward and uncomplicated in both execution and presentation. The images require no language or common history. The images, like the viewers, share together an inquisitive gaze, captured briefly in memory. Stasys designed his lecture and exhibition poster for his appearance at the University of Michigan; it is a self-portrait with hand-lettering that appears as though it were just pulled from his sketchbook.

Polish Film Festival Celebrates 15th Year The Ann Arbor Polish Film Festival is an annual documentaries, animated shorts, and feature fi lms. cultural event organized by the Polish Cultural These works are not only commentaries on life in Fund—Ann Arbor in cooperation with the Polish- contemporary Poland, but also reflect the views American Congress Ann Arbor Chapter, the of Polish artists interpreting diverse issues around University of Michigan’s Polish Club, and the the world. Excerpt from www.annarborpolonia. University of Michigan. Since its beginning in org/filmfestival 1993, the Festival has promoted Polish culture by offering audiences an opportunity to see a For more information, please visit their website, at broad range of narrative forms and visual styles www.annarborpolonia.org present in contemporary Polish cinema, including

9 InThe Print Slavic Scene A History Revisited By Priya Bali It’s often said there are three sides to a story: yours, “It brought home for me the difference between mine and the truth. In 2001, New York Daily News memory and truth,” Einhorn said. “It’s like a reporter and Michigan alum Erin Einhorn boarded moment when your family intersected with history a plane to Poland to find that elusive third side, and everybody relates to that moment and then the one that would tell her about her mother’s they’re inspired by it, and when you try to measure complex past and survival of the Holocaust. She up that moment with provable facts, you find that found more: the larger story of World War Two in it doesn’t necessarily align. In my case, I found a Nazi-occupied Poland. A year later, having learned new version of how my grandmother may have a new language and returning with a journal died.” filled with entries recounting her experiences, she began to write her first book. Her memoir, entitled The understanding she gained of her family’s past “The Pages in Between: A Holocaust Legacy of Two was deeply rooted in Poland’s own history. The tale Families, One Home.” of the two families goes beyond Einhorn’s own The Pages Between history and represents two larger stories, those of On her trip, Einhorn was able to track down the the Jews and Poles during a pivotal point in history. Skowronski family that sheltered her mother Although not a Holocaust memoir, Einhorn’s during the Holocaust. From Aug. 1943 to Nov. personal story becomes a tale of how these people 1945, Einhorn’s mother remained hidden, were driven apart and the ways in which the goals spending two-and-a-half years as a member of the of reconciliation have been met. Skowronski family. This situation was based on a deal made by Einhorn’s grandfather, who begged Before Einhorn immersed herself in this project, the Skowronskis to hide his daughter in exchange she was a journalist for The Philadelphia Inquirer for, among other things, allowing the family to live and the Philadelphia Daily News. She covered small rent-free in a building he owned in Bedzin, Poland. town life before moving to New York City, where Einhorn recalls the moment when she met Mrs. she began reporting on the public school system Skowronski’s son, who was essentially a brother to and the city’s government. her mother. But experiences outside the professional world “I walked into the life of an elderly man who was were formative too, especially the ones at Michigan, the son of the woman who saved my mother,” where Einhorn earned a bachelors degree in 1995 Einhorn said. “I showed up in his life one day and and wrote for The Michigan Daily. Whether it was brought his long-lost sister back to life. I showed the Holocaust denial-ad protesters on the Diag, Bill him a photograph of my mom as a little kid and he Clinton on the steps of Hill Auditorium or guitarists pointed to her and said that she was his sister.” on the steps of the Hatcher Graduate Library, all had an effect on her life. No matter where a person What followed was something Einhorn hadn’t lives, environment doesn’t just become a backdrop anticipated: For years, she had only heard the against which things happen; it becomes the reassuring yet inadequate tale of how her mother action itself. was always loved, and the reasons her grandfather had stopped associating with the Skowronskis. Einhorn remembers this time as being crucial to Now, Einhorn was being introduced to an entirely the enhancement of her identity as a writer, and new family and country she’d never traveled to in perhaps when she first realized what she calls the order to fill in the gaps of a story she’d been trying single greatest thing about journalism: “The excuse to piece together for years. But matters became that you have to go up to people and just start complicated when she found herself tying up loose asking them who they are and why they’re doing ends of two families who never found closure from what they’re doing.” continued on next page their pasts.

10 TheMichigan Slavic Slavic Publications Scene New from MSP: Cinema All the Time: An Anthology of Czech Film Theory and Criticism, 1908–1939 This anthology assembles some of the earliest The anthology is organized both thematically Czech texts on film published in the period between and chronologically to reflect the rise of film as 1908 and 1939, i.e., between the rise of art cinema a new medium, a cultural institution, and an art and the outbreak of World War II, writings that form—in other words, to document the discursive were instrumental in shaping various ways film was construction of film in its variety and multiplicity. seen and understood in this formative period. The The writings express a number of concerns that authors include scientist Jan Evangelista Purkinje, relate to major trends and forces of modernity whose studies of the perception of movement in the twentieth century: film is seen as a means from 1819 and 1820 laid the foundation for the rise to educate and enlighten, as an example of the of the cinematic apparatus, and writers and critics dynamic relation between time and space, as Vaclav Tille and Karel Capek, who, year before a new formal model for other arts, as a tool for their counterparts abroad, analyzed cinematic ideological struggle, and as a unique signifying Cinema is available language as it was emerging, reflecting on its system. While some of the authors are known to from Michigan Slavic genealogy, genres, and future development. How scholars in various fields—Purkinje to historians Publications was it possible that in a country without a well- of science, Karel Tiege to students of the European developed film industry, these cultural and literary avant-garde, Jan Mukarovsky and Roman Jakobson www.lsa.umich.edu/ critics, linguists, theater directors, architects, and to literary scholars and linguists, and Alexander slavic/msp filmmakers articulated ideas and concepts that Hackenschmied to film historians—only a few of predated later theoretical developments? This their texts on film have been translated into English, collection suggests that Czech writers benefited and this anthology marks the first time they have from their location at the crossroads of Eastern and been systematically and critically assembled. From Western Europe, where Austrian, Slavic, German, editor’s introduction. French, and American cultures intermingled. This volume was published in cooperation with the National Film Archive, Prague.

A History Revisited continued from previous page “never forget.” In doing so, not only is curiosity about particular people and places fulfilled, but one can also share Rediscovering our own histories may seem like his or her newfound knowledge with others, and a daunting task. It may require visiting a strange this is exactly what Einhorn has done with her country and learning about a time that is completely book. foreign to us: but at the same time, the process may provide us with the missing third side to a story. “Too often with the Holocaust, this mantra of ‘never forgot’ ends up being about the crimes committed “You look for slices of life that tell a larger tale,” and not about all of these lives, cultures and Einhorn said. communities that survived for hundreds of years in Eastern Europe and were obliterated,” Einhorn said. So if you ever decide to travel half-way across the world to visit an old street corner, or to simply look Reprinted with permission Her book — and searching for one’s own personal from The Michigan Daily, into the eyes of relatives in antique photographs, history in general — presents one way to reduce www.michigandaily.com this effect and live more fully within the spirit of pay attention to what you find: you might be

11 Non-Profit Organization U.S. Postage PAID Ann Arbor, MI The Department of Slavic Permit #144 Languages & Literatures 3040 Modern Lang. Bldg. University of Michigan 812 E. Washington Street Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1275 (734) 764-5355

Chair and Editor: Herbert J. Eagle

Assistant Editor & Layout: Rachelle Grubb

The Regents of the University of Michigan Julia Donovan Darlow Laurence B. Deitch Olivia P. Maynard Rebecca McGowan Andrea Fischer Newman Andrew C. Richner S. Martin Taylor Katherine E. White Mary Sue Coleman (ex officio)

A Departmental Logo We are pleased to introduce our departmental renewal and change, and embraces the strength of logo. A lot of thought went into the design, with the University of Michigan. Here it is printed in a important insights from the staff and faculty. As a single color. The full-color version is blue and red, metaphor for continual growth, the circle embodies with black text. We hope you like it too!

We have been presented with an exciting fundraising opportunity that we hope you will consider! President Mary Sue Coleman has announced a matching challenge that responds to the great departmental need Herb Eagle described in his Letter from the Chair — graduate student funding. We know that such funding is a key factor in helping graduate students decide where to pursue their studies, and we know that attracting these students is critical to the vibrancy of our department. In other words, the success of our program is largely dependent on the graduate students that we can attract! To address this need, President Coleman will match 50% of all gift and pledges made by U-M President December 31, 2008, including pledges which extend up to five years. For instance, a gift of Mary Sue Coleman $1000 will be matched with $500; and a pledge of $5000 over five years will yield $7500. With this kind of match in place, even small donations can make a significant impact on our department and the experience we strive to give our students. All such gifts should be designated to the Graduate Fellowship Fund, and will be combined to create annual support packages for our graduate students. Our goal is to establish a graduate fellowship www.giving.umich.edu/ endowment of $50,000, with slightly over $33,000 to be raised through alumni and friends where/ presidents_challenge.htm of the Department. We hope that you will consider making a gift or bequest! Supporting Slavic Studies